The Economic Growth Impact of Hurricanes: Evidence from US Coastal Counties

Eric Strobl

No 3619, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: We estimate the impact of hurricane strikes on local economic growth rates and how this is reflected in more aggregate growth patterns. To this end we assemble a panel data set of US coastal counties’ growth rates and construct a hurricane destruction index that is based on a monetary loss equation, local wind speed estimates derived from a physical wind field model, and local exposure characteristics. Our econometric results suggest that in response to a hurricane strike a county’s annual economic growth rate will initially fall by 0.8, but then partially recover by 0.2 percentage points. While the pattern is qualitatively similar at the state level, the net effect over the long term is negligible. Hurricane strikes do not appear to be economically important enough to be reflected in national economic growth rates.

Keywords: US coastal counties; economic growth; hurricanes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 41 pages
Date: 2008-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-mac and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Economic Growth Impact of Hurricanes: Evidence from U.S. Coastal Counties (2011)
Working Paper: The Economic Growth Impact of Hurricanes: Evidence from US Coastal counties (2009)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3619

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